MovieChat Forums > Nanking (2007) Discussion > Re-writing history/Ignorance

Re-writing history/Ignorance

posted 17 years ago by 74762-2104
5 replies | jump to latest

I recall some interviews with the principle actors on the dvd of Eastwood's "Letters from Iwo Jima"--These Japanese actors had never even heard the words "Iwo Jima" in school.
The PBS "Frontline" piece "Tank Man" was most revealing in showing how in China, typing in "tank man" to Google gets not a single image or reference to the student protests in Tianiman Square--The thousands of people shot and killed at point-blank range by soldiers. An iconic photo of an extraordinarly heroic young man standing before a column of oncoming tanks. Millions of hits on Google here in the US.
While I'm on the subject--I was taught that the settlers in Jamestown from England in 1604 was somehow noble--If there were a doctrine with an awareness of colonial imperialism then, it was their guiding force. Corporate financed greed--Along with the arrogance that sees the native population as something to subjugate/conquer.
History just repeats itself. We're organic beings, (and btw, one race: HUMAN), with all the variables that nature offers the species.
So long as leaders are few and followers many, nothing will ever really change. I've lived long enough to see that many addages are universal and have a basis in truth--Like "Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely".
Ahh...Something cathartic in this exercise. And speaking of followers--How silly, arrogant, superstitious, sad, pathetic, etc. to think/believe that God created man when it was man who created God. (I figured if I could capitaize the "G" in Google I could do the same for HER.
My truth: There's nothing life SHOULD be. You live and then you die. In between that time...Well, I for one know I'll leave it a bit better.(Ah, that's by deeds. I know a rotting corpse is a heck of a clean-up)
Gad zooks! Have I meandered at this keyboard.

[–] mustard_man_999 17 years ago

meh, popular existential wishwash. donno why u think imdb is a good place for ur phylosophical musings, not that its anything profound anyhow... so maybe it is

[–] findusfunk 17 years ago

"The PBS "Frontline" piece "Tank Man" was most revealing in showing how in China, typing in "tank man" to Google gets not a single image or reference to the student protests in Tianiman Square--The thousands of people shot and killed at point-blank range by soldiers. An iconic photo of an extraordinarly heroic young man standing before a column of oncoming tanks. Millions of hits on Google here in the US. "

Shows you how ignorant you are that you believe your own government's brainwashing that it gets no hits. I'm in China and it gets 15 million hits and 4 million image hits. I'm not Chinese.

[–] hvatum 17 years ago

What part of China are you in? Also, it's probably instructive that you're searching in English. Secondly if you're in Hong Kong or another special administrative zone it's possible you are not being blocked by the "golden shield."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_websites_blocked_in_the_People%27s_Republic_of_China

So sorry, you're wrong. The "great firewall of China" is not some myth invented by the US government, rather a systematic program by the Chinese government to filter the internet. This is confirmed by many indepdent organizations, not just the US government. Indeed these days the US governement says almost NOTHING about it, since the regime of George Bush is far more interested in making good money by trading with China then improving the living standard of any individual chinese person... shows how much you know about US politics (clue: you know nothing).

Even Chinese central television has a story on it, if you don't trust "western" news sources.

http://www.adsale.com.hk/tw/iframe/anews-s3-n4.asp

[–] blubb06 16 years ago

Yes, history repeats itself, but we can't look at our lives as historians - or we wouldn't manage to get up and carry the trash downstairs. It's the millions of seconds between such events as Nanking that history is NOT interested in. 60 years without a major war in Europe - I'm from Germany - is a very, very long time. This is a golden age, but not one that gives historians much to revel in.
War is an abnormality (in our age) that brings out the worst in people. We should never forget this simple fact. Maybe it takes a certain age (or experience) to look beyond the convenient myths, but it's essential to grow up as a human being.

[–] jellyfi 16 years ago

Yes it is true - European youths on the whole seem extremely reluctant to go to war these days. Is it the result of so many of them being educated and middle class?
Even when they're forced as part of their national soldier duty (many European countries still have obligatory military service) to go and do "peace-keeping" in some put-upon country or other, they are not very enthusiastic.
Does that mean that common sense has finally reached Europe and that, if other countries have a large enough wealthy and educated class, there ultimately will be no war because nobody can be arsed to die for their country - in particular a country not under siege?

Of the so-called first world, only the Americans and to a certain degree the British and a smattering of Australians seem to be very eager to go into battle these days.

Perhaps we should let all the countries still keen on war-mongering just fight it out among themselves and when it has all died down, allow them to reach enlightening when it comes to the question of war, namely that it's not worth your while to go off and die for some old geezers' outdated beliefs, just as Europe has done.